Soroptimist representatives from around the world gathered in Cambridge, UK from 15-20 August for the annual Board meeting. Delegations from the four Federations, between them representing over 80,000 members in 127 countries, met to discuss issues facing the worldwide movement and formulate strategy for the coming year, enabling Soroptimist International to make the greatest possible impact on the lives of women and girls.
Following months of detailed discussion between the four Federations, Soroptimist International has become an incorporated organisation. Its new status as a company limited by guarantee offers important liability protection for SI board members.
“Acceptance of the principal to incorporate the organisation is an outstanding business decision”, says Soroptimist International President Ann Garvie, who succeeded Immediate Past President Alice Wells during the meeting.
“The Board must now embrace corporate responsibility and governance; stop being reactive and focus on being proactive, transparent, visionary and focused. The Board is accountable to the membership and must deliver Soroptimist International’s Vision and Mission whilst simultaneously raising the global impact of the organisation.”
Picture (l-r): SISWP President Siew Yong Gnanalingam, SIGBI President Pat Black, SI President 2011-13 Alice Wells, SIE President Kathy Kaaf and SIA President Raquel Arreola Ruiz with the newly signed SI Constitution.
A new Constitution and Memorandum and Articles of Association were signed by SI President Alice Wells and the presidents of each Federation and received a spontaneous round of applause from everyone in the room.
The Bye Laws which will underpin the Constitution, and which will be supported by Operational Manuals, are now in draft form. These will replace a complex set of documents, the PPPs, with a streamlined instrument of working rules. During the three-day meeting at Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge, the board members, officers and consultants examined the effectiveness of the entire organisation. This work, led by the Audit Committee, assessed SI’s performance against the Strategic Plan and agreed to monitor progress within the next twelve months.
The Programme team led a workshop to consider how SI should respond to the UN’s policy of decentralising its operational activities.
Picture: the new Programme Team (l-r): Sharon Fisher (SIA), Maria Elisabetta de Franciscis (SIE), Sue Biggs (SIGBI), Hilary Ratcliffe (SI Int’l Programme Director), Caroline Leach (SI Int’l Assistant Programme Director), Robyn Cain (SISWP).
The successful collaboration of SIE and SIGBI together with the Taskforce on the Future African Federation was acknowledged. An urgent action plan to increase membership worldwide is to tackled by the Organisational Development Committee
Plans for the 20th Convention in Istanbul in two years’ time are continuing with the enthusiastic support of Turkish Soroptimists under SI’s long term theme of “Educate to lead”. One of the highlights is planned to be the showcasing of the four winners of each Federation’s public speaking competition for young women.
Picture: Alice Wells, SI President 2011-13, and her successor President Ann Garvie.
SI’s new President for 2013-15, Ann Garvie told more than a hundred guests at a change of insignia dinner, “We must make SI fit for purpose for the 21st century”. The delightful evening, which was attended by former SI Presidents Hilary Page and Thelma de Leeuw, put outgoing President Alice Wells in the limelight. She was highly praised for her “calm, elegant and dignified leadership” and set off into her new freedom.
The Board is looking forward to working successfully with Ann Garvie. SIGBI President Pat Black wished her all the success her initiatives deserve, and all the courage she needs, and commended her great sense of humour.
Read more in newly appointed International Assistant Programme Director Caroline Leach’s first-timer’s account of attending the SI Board meeting.
Comments are closed.